


Uchiha Itachi

by TsarinaTorment



Series: Uchiha Itachi series [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Family, Gen, Next Generation, Original Character-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-11
Updated: 2013-11-16
Packaged: 2017-12-26 07:19:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/963150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TsarinaTorment/pseuds/TsarinaTorment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meet Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke and Sakura's only son. He's a typical 16 year old ninja. Missions, jounin exams... Wait... What? Uncle? Akatsuki?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mission

**Author's Note:**

> As always, this can also be found on fanfiction.net
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto

**_I’m not going to start this diary with the usual, stereotypical, ‘Dear Diary’. I’m just going to write in this when I’m bored, but I may as well introduce myself. My name is Uchiha Itachi. I’m sixteen years old. I have an older sister, Uchiha Mikoto, eighteen, and a younger sister, Uchiha Tani, twelve. My parents are Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Sakura. I have a big family (loads of uncles and aunts) though none of them are actually related to me, but still. My best friend is Nara Hiroshi. Like me, he’s sixteen, but his birthday’s six months before mine – 12th February whilst mine’s 3rd August. The majority of my other friends are girls. But I have loads of fan girls as, like my father was, I was the academy heart throb. Apparently it’s because of my raven hair and emerald eyes... But I digress. It’s Naruto’s birthday soon and I don’t know what to get him. I mean, what could I get him that he doesn’t already have? I could always resort to ramen tickets I suppose... Oh well, that’s the least of my worries. Compared with the hoards of girls that dog my every step. Basically, that’s scary. I can’t escape unless I’m in my home. Dad’s no help – he just laughs at me. Mum doesn’t understand so she can’t sympathise._ **

**_My sisters are so annoying! The amount of times I’ve caught Tani playing with my special kunai! I’ve lost count! And all the times Mikoto’s asked me if I look good in various colours of makeup and in different outfits before she goes out with her boyfriend, Isas. I’m her brother for goodness sake! How am I supposed to know what boys like to see her wearing? And I’ve never had a girlfriend so I don’t know what boys like to see in a girl! All I know is that I haven’t found the one for me yet... if there is one. Perhaps I’m doomed to be forever single and chased after by girls. I’m waffling, I know, but it’s my diary so there!_ **

**_I don’t know what to write..._ **

**_Finally, my Sharingan has reached three tomoe – full development. I beat Mikoto on that account! She’s still on two. Tani’s still on one tomoe, nut she is the youngest. Dad did tell me once that the male’s Sharingan develops quicker than females’, but it’s nice to see the theory in practise. Mikoto’s jealous – it’s quite funny actually... If only she hadn’t inherited Mum’s inhuman strength! Oww... Why did I decline Mum’s offer to heal me? Damn pride. I really hate my ego sometimes. I must get it from Dad. Time to train, I guess. Suigetsu demanded that my squad mates and I meet him at the bridge at midday today... I just hope that that pervert’s not late because he’s got his head in that book again. It won’t take the girls long to find me. Huff..._ **

Uchiha Itachi put his pen down and sighed. He hated those annoying girls that followed him around everywhere he went. Hell, he could even sense them below his bedroom window. So much for trying to sneak out of there to avoid them. His perverted sensei had better not be late or he’d have hell to pay. He grinned. There was one exit that none of those girls watched... Mikoto’s bedroom window. He’d just to hope that she a) wasn’t in there or b) she was in a good mood. Damn it. He could sense her in there. Swallowing that damn pride of his, he knocked on her bedroom door.

“Who is it?” she demanded. He winced. She was in a really bad mood.

“It’s me, Itachi,” he called back.

“What do you want?”

“Can I slip out your window, sis?” he asked. “It’s the only place that girls aren’t lurking.” There was silence.

“Fine.” She opened the door. Looking at his white face, she laughed. “Those fan girls really scare you, don’t they?” she asked, bad mood gone at the sight of her only brother looking scared of some girls.

“Fan girls? They’re stalkers!” he responded, walking past his older sister. She grinned.

“Where are you going?” she asked. “I’ll keep them away from you today. Well, I’ll try.” Itachi grinned at her.

“The bridge,” he replied. OK, sometimes (ahem virtually all of the time) Mikoto wasn’t that bad. In fact, contrary to appearances, they got on quite well, whatever the two of them said. They got on with Tani very well, too. A perfect family relationship, unlike the two Uzumaki sisters, who fought at every opportunity.

Itachi made one last scan of the area around his sister’s window before jumping out and waving at his sister before running to meet his teammates at the bridge where, ironically, his parent's sensei had met them every day while they were Genin, and even Chuunin. A Chuunin himself, Itachi just couldn't be bothered to apply for Jounin before – but he was finally going to start the exam the following week. Despite being an Uchiha with a reputation to uphold, Itachi was actually quite nervous. Of course, only Mikoto had been told, but he had a feeling that his parents could tell – they knew him so well. He hadn't even told Hiroshi about the nerves gnawing at his gut.

He arrived at the meeting point and grinned. True to her word, he could see Mikoto in the distance, distracting a huge group (or should that be hoard?) of girls. As he watched, she pointed in the direction of the house and the girls all ran in that direction. He grinned. 'Note to self: don't go home for a while,' he thought to himself. A cough got his attention and he looked to see his teammate Kisame standing in front of him. They were friends, but not good ones.

"Ita-kun!" a girl shouted and hugged him.

"Get off me, Hanabi," he said tiredly. The only annoying girl that he couldn't avoid was her – his only female teammate. True, she did her fair share of hard work on missions and was a talented kunoichi, but she did fancy him... which was annoying. Then again, her mother, Karin, had been like that with his father, so it must run in the family, like her chakra sensing and unusual healing abilities. She was no doubt a valuable asset to their squad, she just happened to be annoying at times like this. But if she was here then that meant that her father probably was too. Neither she nor their sensei were overjoyed at being on the same team, but it was non-negotiable. At least Suigetsu didn't favour her because she was his daughter; if anything, she got all the dirty work like cooking and washing up. Maybe it was just their sensei being sexist, what with all those Icha Icha books he read. He was as bad as their old family friend, Kakashi, when it came to those books. tachi got a shiver just thinking about the number of times he'd had to persuade that pervert not to give him one for his birthday or Christmas. He doubted that Kakashi had listened to him; it was probably only because both his parents had stepped in with disapproving views every time the subject was brought up. His mum said that there was no way that anyone in her house was going to own one of those books and his Dad said that he had once been forced to read them by some creep called Orochimaru and that they were rubbish and he'd find it boring, not to mention the fact that he was sick to death at the mere sight of one of those books. Itachi thought that that was probably what had saved him.

Despite thinking deeply about those arguments, Itachi was fully aware of his sensei trying to sneak up on him. Just as Suigetsu was about to tickle him, Itachi twisted and grabbed his arm. He glared at the prankster that was his sensei, who laughed.

"Sasuke told me that your Sharingan is fully developed now," he said. Itachi nodded. His father was an old friend of Suigetsu's, he knew. Something about some random snake guy and them both being his subordinates – or something. He didn't quite get it... but hey. That was all ancient history as far as he was concerned. He did know that Orochimaru was dead, killed by his father, so he wasn't worried.

"Ahem," Kisame said, waving his hand in front of Itachi's face. "Earth to Itachi!" Itachi blinked and gave his teammate the famous Uchiha glare. Kisame just grinned – that glare never had any effect on him, he often attempted to return it. And failed because he wasn't an Uchiha. Suigetsu grinned.

"Like father, like son; Sasuke had a habit of spacing out a lot, too. Must be an Uchiha thing," he joked. Itachi gave him a death glare. "And then he glare at me just like that when I disturbed him," he added.

"Whatever. Let's just move," Itachi said, glancing over to where his sister stood directing those pesky girls elsewhere. His sensei chuckled as he followed Itachi's gaze.

"I see that Mikoto's distracting your fan girls," he commented. "You're not scared of them, are you, Itachi?" he taunted. The Uchiha shrugged.

"Can we just move?" he asked irritably. Suigetsu laughed before leading his platoon to their secret training spot that the girls had yet to find.

"Why did you summon us, sensei?" Hanabi asked. Suigetsu looked at his daughter.

"I know that you've only got a week until your Jounin exams, but I've decided to accept a mission from the Hokage," he said. Itachi sighed. He'd much rather have been training than going on a mission.

"I think you, especially, will find this mission interesting, Itachi," Suigetsu said, glancing at his annoyed disciple. Itachi looked at him disbelievingly. "We've been asked to retrieve a missing-nin. He's highly skilled, until recently he was thought dead, killed by Uchiha Sasuke, but the Hokage's just found out that he is, in fact, still alive. He's an S-Classed criminal formerly of this village." Itachi had a sinking feeling. The only S-Classed missing-nin formerly of Konohagakure killed by his father that he knew of was Orochimaru...  
"Who is it?" Kisame asked. Itachi could have sworn that he heard a quiver of fear in his teammate's voice. Suigetsu grinned and looked directly into Itachi's eyes  
.  
"It's a good thing that your Sharingan's fully developed, Itachi," he said. "His name is Uchiha Itachi." Itachi's eyes widened slightly and his teammates started in surprise.

"Uchiha... Itachi..." Itachi murmured. "How come he's got the same name as me? And what do you mean, it's a good thing that my Sharingan's fully developed?" he demanded. Suigetsu glanced at him.

"I've never met him, but I was nearby when Sasuke supposedly killed him. What did I mean? Like you, he's a Sharingan user – and a very adept one at that. Even you father's was easily overpowered when they fought. That's how talented he is." Itachi stared at him and could feel his teammates' gazes on him.

"How come he's got the same name as me?" Itachi repeated. Suigetsu looked uncomfortable.

"You were named after him," he said simply.


	2. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“How come he’s got the same name as me?” Itachi repeated. Suigetsu looked uncomfortable._
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _“You were named after him,” he said simply._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto

Itachi stared at his sensei; for the first time ever, shock was evident on his face.

“I... was named after... an S-Classed criminal? What were my parents thinking? Why? Who is he anyway?” His voice rose in volume until he was nearly shouting. His teammates just stared. Suigetsu sighed.

“You’ll understand when you see him, I hope,” he said. Hanabi walked up to Itachi and put her arms around him. For once, he didn’t shrug her off. He was still too shocked by what his sensei had said.

“We’re leaving in one hour. Meet by the gates before then. Itachi, you will understand,” Suigetsu said. Itachi glared at his sensei. “Oh, and Itachi,” Suigetsu called as Itachi turned to go, shrugging Hanabi off. “Don’t tell your father who it is that we’re pursuing.” Itachi merely nodded and walked off.

It took him longer than normal to walk home. He ignored the girls as he approached his house. He walked in the door to be greeted by Tani.

“What’s wrong? Itachi?” his little sister asked. He forced a smile.

“Nothing’s wrong, little sis,” he said. “It’s just that I’m going away on a mission and I don’t know when I’ll be back, that’s all.” Tani wasn’t stupid – sometimes she wished that they wouldn’t treat her like a little kid anymore now that she’d graduated from the academy. But she could see that her brother needed to reassure himself about something, but he needed her help to do so – namely she had to be the one that he talked down to.

Itachi sighed again and went to his room to pack some supplies. Spare clothes, a medic kit – he wasn’t denying Hanabi’s ability, he just felt more comfortable when he had his own stuff as well – a multitude of weapons and finally a little present from Mikoto that he’d told nobody about – a hand-sewn pair of armguards. No-one knew that they were from her – and they’d saved his arms more than once on dangerous missions. There was a knock on his bedroom door.

“It’s me,” Mikoto called. “Can I come in?” Itachi got up and opened the door to admit his older sister.

“Tani told me that you were going away on a mission,” she said. “What’s wrong? You look like something that a cat would drag in.” Itachi managed a small smile at his sister’s comparison.

“Do I really look that bad?” he asked. She nodded.

“You’re a total mess,” she said gently. “Out with it – what’s wrong?”

“Have you heard of an Uchiha Itachi?” her brother asked. She stared at him.

“Yes – that’s your name, remember?”

He shook his head.

“Not me – a different one.”

Mikoto shook her head.

“Apparently I was named after someone. And he’s an S-Classed criminal,” he whispered, so quietly that his sister had to lean in to hear him.

“I’m sure Mum and Dad had their reasons for doing that,” she whispered back, putting her arms around him. He leaned into her embrace, needing the comfort that only his sister could give.

“My team’s mission is to retrieve an S-Classed criminal formerly of this village called Uchiha Itachi who was supposedly killed by Uchiha Sasuke years ago,” he whispered to his sister. Her breath caught as she heard their father’s name. “And I’m not allowed to tell Dad,” he added. His sister pulled him close and kissed the top of his head – something that only she was allowed to do.

“Don’t worry about it,” she told Itachi. “And I won’t tell Dad either.” Her brother smiled and embraced his sister back. She was the only person who could dispel his fears and insecurity like that.

“I’m meant to be meeting my team in a few minutes,” he said. Mikoto let go and stood with him.

“I’ll walk with you,” she said. Itachi looked at her gratefully.

“Thanks, sis,” he said. Together they made their way to the gates of Konoha where the rest of his team were already waiting.

“Ready?” Suigetsu asked. Itachi nodded and the squad walked out the village. They bumped into Sasuke and Sakura, who were returning from a mission. Itachi looked at his parents, and they didn’t miss the look in his eyes – the... hurt? They couldn’t tell.

“Hi, Sasuke,” Suigetsu said. “Hello, Sakura. We’re going on a mission for an unknown amount of time, OK?” Itachi’s parents nodded and watched as their only son walked past them. To their surprise, Itachi didn’t say anything, only nodded in acknowledgement of their presence.

“What’s up with him?” Sakura asked her husband as they entered the village. Sasuke shrugged.

“Perhaps he’s not too thrilled with the mission,” he said. They saw Mikoto standing in the gateway.

“Mikoto, what are you doing here?” Sakura asked her eldest daughter.

“I came to see Itachi off – he wasn’t feeling too good – I think the pressure of the upcoming exam is taking its toll on him,” she said in response. Her parents accepted her reasoning for Itachi’s strange behaviour. It made sense after all – they could tell that he was nervous about the Jounin exam next week.

“Well let’s go back home OK, honey,” Sakura said but Mikoto shook her head.

“I’m going to meet Isas,” she said. Her parents watched as she walked away.

“She seems to know more about Itachi than we do,” Sasuke commented.

Mikoto walked towards the Hokage tower at a fast pace. On arriving there she knocked on the door. Hard.

“Come in,” the Hokage called. She entered the room and shut the door behind her. “What is it, Mikoto?” he asked. She glared at him.

“Why did you send Itachi on that mission?” she demanded. The blonde man looked at her in surprise.

“It was logical.”

Mikoto coughed and glared at him some more.

“Explain _logical_. Because to me, logical does not cover undermining my brother’s faith in our parents – or his self-esteem!” she snapped.

“Listen, Miss Hothead. In the entire world there are only four Uchihas who possess a fully developed Sharingan; your father, your brother, Itachi the criminal and one other, who is also a criminal. There was no way in hell that I could send your father on this mission – as good a ninja as he is, he’d have let his actions be ruled by his heart, not his head. While it would have, naturally, been a shock for your brother, I felt that I could trust him more on this mission.”

“Are you saying that you trust Itachi more than your best friend?” Mikoto demanded.

“On this mission, yes,” Naruto said. “You stand there accusing me of sending your brother on that mission, but I doubt that you know who this Uchiha Itachi is – am I right?” Mikoto said nothing. “Uchiha Itachi is five years older than your father. He is, in fact, your uncle.” Mikoto stared at her adopted uncle in shock.

“My uncle... is an S-Classed criminal?” she demanded. “And my father tried to kill him? What are you talking about?” Naruto sighed.

“Perhaps it would be easier if I started at the beginning – but you must promise not to tell anyone – not even your family or closest friends.”

“I promise,” she said with no hesitation. Naruto chortled.

“It’s a sad story, I warn you. Well, until Sasuke was seven he had everything anyone could want; a loving family (father, mother and older brother) as well as being top of the class at the academy. But, shortly before he turned eight, something terrible happened. His entire world was turned upside down. His older brother, Itachi, turned on the Uchiha Clan and killed every member, except Sasuke. Of course, Itachi was thrown out of the village for that and his motive still remains a mystery. Sasuke swore to avenge his clan, and he did when he was your brother’s age – or so we thought. Something you have to understand here is how talented your uncle is. He was constantly referred to as ‘The Pride of the Uchiha Clan’; a highly gifted individual. I’ve met him a few times, and he’s scarily good at genjutsu – and far from shabby with ninjustu and taijutsu. Until your brother brings him back, you _must not_ mention any of this to your father as he’ll go crazy. I’m trusting you here, Mikoto, don’t let me down.” The female Uchiha nodded.

“Naruto...” she asked hesitantly.

“Yes?”

“I was wondering – are Tani or I named after anyone?”

Naruto sighed.

“I never met her – but I’ve heard nothing but praise about Uchiha Mikoto. She was Sasuke’s mother and he adored her. Her death hit him particularly hard. As far as I’m aware, Tani wasn’t named after anyone,” he replied. Mikoto treated him to a rare Uchiha smile before leaving the office to spend some quality time with her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, a certain, moody, Uchiha was glaring at the ground that he was walking on, ignoring his teammates’ attempts to make him talk.

“Cheer up,” Suigetsu said, getting exasperated with disciple’s silence. He was ‘hnned’ at. “It’s not the end of the world, you know. Your parents had their reasons.” Itachi’s head jerked up with his Sharingan blazing.

“Not the end of the world? How would you feel if you had lived the first sixteen years of your life thinking that you were unique – and then discover that you were named after an S-Classed criminal? How would you feel?” he snapped, Sharingan glaring at his sensei.

“Itachi...” Suigetsu started.

“Are you talking to me or is the missing-nin I’m named after listening?” the young Uchiha snapped viciously. Suigetsu’s violet eyes widened slightly in shock. Even in his foulest moods, Itachi had never snapped at him like that.

“Ita-kun,” Hanabi whimpered, embracing the furious teen. He calmed down slightly. That was _his_ nickname. Suigetsu watched in relief as the Sharingan faded and Itachi’s eyes became emerald again. Only Hanabi could do that. Itachi’s reaction showed just how shaken up he was by the mission. He didn’t know how he’d take it if he knew that the only reason _their team_ was doing the mission was because his Sharingan was fully developed. Otherwise, it would’ve been Mikoto’s ANBU squad. He decided not to tell him.

“Sensei?” Kisame asked. “Is the target accompanied by anyone?” Suigetsu nodded.

“Yes. When I travelled with Sasuke, he was accompanied by a missing-nin from Kiri – Hoshigaki Kisame. I don’t know if they still travel together, though,” he told him. Kisame didn’t respond. He thought that he could tell how Itachi felt – sharing a name with an S-Classed criminal. There was a grunt from them and they spun around, Itachi activating his kekkei genkai.

“Another Sharingan user,” a tall (very tall), well-built man said. His skin was pale blue, and his teeth were pointed like Suigetsu and Hanabi’s. “Were you talking about me?”  
Suigetsu glared.

“What do you want, Kisame?” he demanded, gripping the hilt of his sword. **(A/N – Yes, I know Kisame’s dead, but I like him too much so I’ve included him anyway)**.

“Come on out, I know you’re there!” Itachi called. “You can’t hide from my eyes.” A tall, lean man stepped out. He had long, almost black, hair which was pulled into a low ponytail, and deep onyx eyes. Hanabi and Kisame looked from him to Itachi

“Ita-kun,” Hanabi said hesitantly. “He looks like you.” The stranger gazed at Itachi, taking in the Sharingan, his blue-black hair which fell to his shoulders.

"You’re Sasuke’s son, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question. “Who’s your mother?” The voice was smooth, compelling.

“Why should I tell you?” Itachi challenged, fighting the genjutsu – courtesy of his mother’s genes. The stranger blinked and Itachi found himself looking into a Sharingan – identical to his own. Sharingan clashed with Sharingan in a clash of wills as the others watched. The older Kisame chuckled.

“This reminds me of when I saw him fight Sasuke that time – the clash of the two Sharingans,” he commented.

“Who are you?” the younger Kisame demanded.

"Me? I’m Hoshigaki Kisame,” was the response.

“And him?” Hanabi demanded, crimson eyes flashing, gesturing towards the stranger.

“Him? That’s Uchiha Itachi. Who’s the squirt?” Kisame replied.

“Uchiha Itachi,” Suigetsu said. The older Kisame looked confused. “Sasuke named him after Itachi,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the two Itachis were glaring at each other, neither backing down. The younger one stumbled and his opponent took advantage of that, only to get punched for falling for the teen’s trick. Using the strength inherited from his mother, Itachi sent the criminal he was named after flying. The man sailed backwards and connected solidly with a tree.

"Well done, Ita-kun!” Hanabi said, but Itachi shook his head.

“He’s not beaten yet – Kami, he’s powerful!” Hanabi looked surprised.

“But you knocked him out...” she trailed off as Itachi shook his head again.

“He’s faking it – he’s suppressing his Chakra, but he’s perfectly fine. Who is he, anyway?”

“That’s the target,” his sensei said.

“I was named after _him_?” Itachi said, looking at his namesake. Suigetsu nodded.

“So your name’s Itachi, huh?” the older Uchiha said, standing up. “Like me.

“What are you to my father?” the teenager demanded.

“Sasuke? He’s my younger brother.” It was said so calmly.

“Impossible! That would make you my uncle!” Itachi snapped. His uncle shrugged

“It’s true,” Suigetsu said. “That’s your father’s older brother.” The sixteen-year-old glared at his sensei

"You knew.” It wasn’t a question. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he shouted. Hanabi grabbed him before he could attack her father.

“Two reasons,” Suigetsu said, keeping an eye on the older Uchiha. “One - It wasn’t my place to tell you. Two – I knew you’d react like this.” The two Uchihas glared at each other, Sharingans blazing.

“You referred to me as ‘the target’,” the elder said. “What do you want?”

“Our mission is to find Uchiha Itachi and bring him back to Konohagakure,” Hanabi said calmly, releasing her teammate.

“What if I don’t want to come quietly?” the former Leaf shinobi asked.

“You don’t have a choice,” the younger Uchiha told him. The oldest living member of the clan gazed at him calmly.

“Mangekyo Sharingan!” he said suddenly. Both his Akatsuki partner and Suigetsu gasped.

“Itachi!” they both shouted, although they meant different people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s the end of Chapter 2. These chapters are going to be quite long (well, most of them). This took me 3 days to type (I think – maybe longer).
> 
> Thanks for reading
> 
> Tsari


	3. Injury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Naruto
> 
> _“Mangekyo Sharingan!” he said suddenly. Both his Akatsuki partner and Suigetsu gasped._
> 
> _“Itachi!” they both shouted, although they meant different people._

Uchiha Itachi, son of Uchiha Sasuke, collapsed to his knees. He could see a red moon and the Uchiha compound in negative form. A young boy ran down the street, watching people die; people wearing the Uchiha crest on their backs. A ghostly image of his uncle appeared.

“That’s your father,” it said, pointing at the young boy. “He was seven at the time. I killed our entire clan – and now you’re going to watch, helpless, as he did all those years ago.” Rage flooded through Itachi as he heard that; rage that he needed to break free of the genjutsu. He didn’t move an inch – he could sense his uncle approaching with the intent to kill. The elder Uchiha stopped in front of his victim and laughed cruelly.

“You are just like your father – he couldn’t take Tsukuyomi either.” He drew a kunai and stabbed at his nephew. Itachi didn’t react – it was a feint and he knew it. A triumphant grin spread across his uncle’s face. He lunged again – this time for real. The younger Uchiha reacted with inhuman speed. In one fluid movement he drew his katana – a gift from his father – and deflected the blow so that it avoided anything fatal. Using the momentum of the stroke, he stabbed his uncle, reaching the spinal column with enough force to remove any further threat from his uncle. He quickly moved out of his uncle’s reach, whilst still keeping his katana against Itachi’s spine.

“Don’t. Ever. Underestimate. Me,” he said slowly and clearly, watching the older Uchiha carefully. His uncle laughed.

“You’re good. You broke free from my Mangekyo Sharingan, deceived me and then got out of my striking range quickly. Your father could never manage that,” he complimented. “As a reward for your talent I’ll come quietly. But I’m curious – who’s your mother?” Itachi glared at him. Hanabi slipped round behind their target and securely tied him with some special bonds designed to drain Chakra.

“You haven’t earned the right to know,” Itachi told his uncle. “Let’s go.” He and his squad mate Kisame grabbed their prisoner and waited for their sensei.

“You can stay or you can go – we have no orders concerning you,” Suigetsu told the other criminal. Kisame shrugged.

“I don’t want to abandon Itachi... but I’d rather not get captured. I’ll go,” he replied before vanishing.

“We’ll wait a while,” Suigetsu said. “We have to return at night or the villagers will see us.” His three subordinates nodded and sat down, forcing their captive to as well. He offered no resistance; the Chakra draining bonds were doing their job – and quickly. He slumped over backwards, unable to sit without support - apparently. Itachi kicked him viciously.  
“Get up,” he said. “Stop faking. You can sit up just fine.” His uncle winced and looked up at him.

“Kick me like that a few more times and I won’t be able to,” he commented. Itachi moved his leg back. The older Uchiha hastily sat up, making his nephew grin in triumph.  
“You’re a disgrace, Itachi,” Suigetsu said to their prisoner. “You used to take blows like that without flinching.”

“I’m not as young as I used to be...” Itachi responded.

“Nonsense. Sasuke’s as lively as ever,” Suigetsu scoffed.

“He _is_ five years younger than me,” Itachi pointed out.

The younger Uchiha listened to the conversation purely because he was bored. Some of it was interesting, like the age gap between his father and his uncle, but most of it was boring.

Hanabi sat next to him and put her arm around him, staying silent even when he glanced at her. Kisame sat on her other side and grinned at his squad mate, trying to cheer him up. It didn’t work as Itachi was staring into space.

“You guys should get some sleep,” Suigetsu said. “It’ll be a long, sleepless night.” Itachi nodded and shut his eyes. Because Hanabi’s arm was around him, he slumped against her as he quickly fell asleep. She lowered him so that his head was resting on her lap and stroked his hair with one hand; the other hand she draped across his torso as she too shut her eyes and succumbed to sleep, leaning against Kisame, who put his arm around her and rested his head on hers. Suigetsu looked at them and smiled.

“They look sweet like that,” he commented to the older Itachi, who nodded in agreement.

“Itachi reminds me of Sasuke a lot,” he commented. “He acts just the same.” It was Suigetsu’s turn to nod. They sat comparing stories about Sasuke until twilight, when Suigetsu decided to wake up his squad. He poked Kisame.

“Wake up!” he said. The young ninja grumbled and opened his eyes. Seeing that the sun had set, he shook Hanabi, waking her.

“It’s time,” he said when she scowled at him. Her scowl faded and she poked the sleeping boy in her lap. He moaned and opened his eyes, looking up at her quizzically.

“Up you got,” she said. “It’s twilight.” Itachi groaned and sat up, wondering why his head was on her lap. He looked over at his uncle, who smiled weakly back. Suigetsu pulled their captive to his feet, while Kisame and Hanabi pulled their teammate up. The teenager stumbled and fell against the kunoichi.

“Ita-kun?” she asked, concerned. He gasped and bent over, clutching at his abdomen. “Let me see.” She sat him back down and pulled his top up, cursing when she saw the injury that he had sustained while fighting his uncle. Blood was constantly seeping out the wound and rolling down his body.

“Lie down,” Hanabi commanded. He complied and she rolled up his top so that she could treat him. Despite the blood loss, it didn’t appear serious enough for her to need to use her special ability so she reached into her weapons pouch and withdrew her medic kit. Using her water Chakra, she wet a piece of cloth and pressed it against the wound. The white material quickly darkened.

“Kisame, keep the pressure on,” she instructed. Her teammate pressed down, trying to stem the flow of blood. For such a small wound, it was far more serious than Itachi had realised when he had deflected the blow. Hanabi created a wad of gauze and ordered Kisame to change the blood soaked material for the clean one. He did so and Hanabi secured it with tight bandaging. Once she was done, they helped Itachi to stand.

“Hanabi, Kisame, you escort the prisoner,” Suigetsu ordered. Quickly, they did so while Suigetsu supported Itachi. “Let’s go.” The five ninja made their way to Konoha. When they got there, they were surprised to be greeted by Mikoto.

“Itachi!” she gasped when she saw her brother. He grinned at her.

“Hey, sis,” he said weakly. Their prisoner looked at her with interest. Feeling his gaze on her, Mikoto turned and inspected him.

“So you’re my uncle,” she stated before walking over to her injured brother. “Naruto told me,” she added, seeing her brother’s face.

“Only because she was shouting at me for sending Itachi on that mission,” the Hokage said, stepping up beside her. Itachi grinned at his sister, who put her arm round him to provide support.

“Let’s go to the Hokage tower,” Suigetsu suggested, looking at his disciple’s pale face in concern. Naruto nodded in agreement and grabbed their prisoner’s arm, leading the way. As soon as they arrived, Mikoto persuaded her brother to sit on a chair. He slumped back and only his sister’s support prevented him from falling off. Immediately, Hanabi knelt down in front of him and pulled up his top.

“It’ll be easiest if you take this off,” she explained. Mikoto just grabbed the material and pulled it up over her brother’s head. The cloth that bound his wound was soaked through with blood. Carefully, Hanabi unwound the bandaging and the blood leaked out, oozing down his body. Mikoto glanced at it worriedly.

“Hasn’t it stopped bleeding yet?” she asked. Hanabi shook her head, equally concerned.

“We’ll need your mother, looking at that,” Naruto commented, forcing the older Uchiha to sit in the corner. “Mikoto, can you go get her? And get your father and Tani while you’re at it – but don’t tell your father about him -” he jerked his head towards the prisoner. “- just that Itachi’s injured.” Mikoto nodded and stood. She glanced at her uncle – she hadn’t missed the shock on his face when Naruto had said her name – before heading towards her home. Entering the spacious residence, she shouted for her parents and sister. They came running.

“What is it, Mikoto?” Sakura asked.

“Itachi’s back – but he’s injured beyond Hanabi’s skills,” her eldest daughter explained. Sasuke’s eyes widened in concern for his only son and suddenly the entire Uchiha family was running towards the Hokage tower as fast as they could.

Meanwhile, Naruto glared at his captive.

“You will stay quiet and in that corner – understand? If Sasuke notices you before I want him to, things could get out of hand pretty quickly.” Itachi nodded and looked at his semi-conscious nephew, who was being laid on the floor.

“That girl that went to get my brother – is that Sasuke’s daughter?” he asked. Naruto nodded as he watched Hanabi change the dressing on Itachi’s wound – again.

“Sasuke won’t be happy that you’ve injured his only son,” Suigetsu commented. There was the sound of running feet and the Uchiha family burst in. They saw Itachi, almost unconscious on the floor and hurried over to him. Suigetsu and Naruto strategically placed themselves so that Sasuke couldn’t see his older brother.

“Itachi!” Tani sobbed, sitting on the floor by her brother. Mikoto resumed her place by Itachi’s side. Sakura knelt down by her son and performed some seals, causing a green glow to engulf her hands. Gently, she pressed her healing hands against the wound. Sasuke just watched in silence as the deep cut closed and his son fully lost conscious. In concern, he darted forwards and cradled his son in his arms. Looking around, he saw the miraculously clean Hokage desk and laid his son on it.

“What happened?” he demanded, turning towards Naruto and Suigetsu. For the first time, he noticed their unusual positioning. “What’s behind you?”

“Sasuke...” Naruto started but his best friend cut him off.

“Don’t make excuses! My only son is injured and now you’re hiding something from me!”

“SASUKE!” Naruto shouted, cutting him off in turn. “Calm down. I’m not telling you anything until you calm down.” Sasuke glared at him.

“Dad... calm down. You don’t want to disturb Itachi,” Mikoto reasoned. Her father glanced at the unconscious teen behind him before turning back to Naruto. He didn’t say anything. Sakura walked up at him and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and smiled, consequently missing the look of gratitude Naruto threw her. Sasuke took a deep breath and faced the Hokage.

“I’ve calmed down now,” he said. “What’s going on?” Naruto walked towards him, still blocking his view. Securely holding on to his best friend’s arm, he turned and pointed.

“Look,” he said gently. Suigetsu moved out of the way, revealing the S-Classed criminal behind him. Sasuke stared at the man sat in the corner.

“Who...?” he asked, but fell silent when he saw the man’s face. His look of confusion was replaced by anger. “You! How can you be still alive?” he demanded, stepping forwards. Naruto restrained him.

“It’s a long story... brother,” Itachi said, looking up at Sasuke. Tani gasped and ran up to stand by her mother. Mikoto stepped up and put her hand on her father’s arm.  
“What did you do to my son?” Sasuke demanded harshly. His elder brother looked down.

“Our mission was to find and capture Itachi,” Suigetsu cut in. Sasuke looked at Naruto.

“How did you know he was still alive? Why did you send my son?” he demanded. Naruto sighed.

“I needed to send someone with the Sharingan. Initially I was going to send Mikoto’s ANBU squad, but then Itachi’s Sharingan reached three tomoe,” he explained patiently.  
“Why not me?” Sasuke asked.

“Be honest. Would you have been able to capture, not kill?” Naruto responded. Sasuke looked down. “Exactly.”

“So what happened?” Sasuke asked, glancing at his son.

“He managed to outsmart me,” Itachi said. “But it cost him.” Sasuke glared at him. “Realising that his Sharingan was equal to mine, I resorted to Mangekyo Sharingan...” Sasuke snarled and lunged at his brother. His family restrained him. “...But somehow he managed to release it and trick me into thinking that he was still affected by him. When I tried to deliver a fatal blow he deflected it slightly and stabbed me in return.” There was a glimmer of pride in Sasuke’s eyes as he heard how his son had managed to outsmart the genius that was his brother. Naruto realised that Sasuke wasn’t about to kill Itachi and so loosened his grip slightly.

“Perhaps you should go home,” he suggested gently. Sasuke nodded and walked over to his unconscious son and picked him up, carefully cradling him in his arms.  
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sasuke said before leaving, followed by his wife and two daughters. They hurried home where Sasuke laid his son on his bed. Mikoto sat by her brother and smoothed back a lock of his hair. Tani slipped out of the room briefly to get a bowl of water and a cloth. Sasuke and Sakura left the room as she re-entered, leaving their children alone together. Tani damped the cloth and gingerly wiped away the dried blood. Once she had finished, Mikoto picked up his pyjamas and put them on him (she’d done it before so she knew that he wouldn’t mind).

Carefully, she tucked him in and played with his hair, opting not to go to bed. Tani sat by her and held Itachi’s hand. Both sisters were concerned by how pale their brother was. They hoped that he hadn’t lost too much blood.

All night, Naruto, Suigetsu, Hanabi and Kisame sat in the office, listening to Itachi talking – occasionally interrupting with a question or two. By the early hours of the morning, they had learnt why he had killed his clan and all that he had done as a member of Akatsuki. Finally, Naruto permitted him to ask some questions.

“So, what do you want to know?” he asked.

“I’m curious about Sasuke’s family,” Itachi responded. Naruto sighed.

“Thought so. He’s got three kids – Mikoto, Itachi and Tani. Mikoto’s eighteen, Itachi’s sixteen and Tani’s twelve. Their mother’s Sakura, who you may remember...”

“Pink hair, green eyes?” Itachi asked. Naruto nodded. “I remember, at least I remember a girl like that he had a crush on at the academy. Haruno Sakura, her name was.” Naruto nodded again.

“That’s her.”

In the Uchiha Mansion, Sakura sneezed.

“Are you OK?” her husband asked, looking up at her worriedly. She smiled down at him.

“Someone must be talking about me,” she said. He sighed and shut his eyes. Sasuke had been really shaken up by the realisation that his older brother was still alive; that was why he was lying on their bed with his head on Sakura’s lap.

“Itachi’ll be alright, won’t he?” he asked her, meaning their son. She nodded.

“Yes, he’ll probably be waking up soon,” she assured him. He smiled.

“Good. When I saw him... all that blood...” Sakura put her finger on his lips.

“Shh, stop worrying.”

Sasuke’s strong arms wound around her waist and held her tightly.

“Get some sleep. Mikoto and Tani are with him,” she whispered, pulling a blanket over him. His breathing slowed as he succumbed to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Tsari

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Tsari


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